Greetings, I am thinking of taking small gifts to give to my new found friends I will meet in Italy . Is this a common practice and if so I could use some suggestions of an appropriate gift. Regards, Laurie
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People have loved the new American dollars..ok they aren't new..but I buy them in mint condition and give them in the collectors small plastic envelopes.
Key chains from your state.
Brownie mix, and then make them for them..lemon bars are good too. Trying to make them from scratch doesn't always work with the ingredients here.
Always bring foto's of your house, your pet, your town, etc.
Even if you can't speak the language, it makes great conversation on a rainy day in a bar!
People love things they can use, for good friends, a Cross ballpoint pen is really cool!!!
They look expensive and really impressed my banker and insurance sales rep, they are still talking about them. (bring refills too)
Judy Divina Cucina Florence Everyone should try being Italian at least once a day!!
WE always try to take stuff that is from our area...Kentucky Derby pins, state fair pins, postcards, one year we took small bottles of KY bourbon to Scotland, but everyone we gave them to already knew about it! WE thought we were being so original! Whatever we take, people always seem so touched that we would give them a small present!
[This message was edited by Barb on August 10, 2002 at 09:40 AM.]
Posts: 4752 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 29 June 2001
Another good idea is See's candies, the nuts and chews..they love them.. for kids..jacks! I have never seen them here.
To bring back, the Italian playing cards called Napoletani, they are skinny and have odd symbols, cups, suns or coins, swords and clubs as in barney rubble! then teach everyone Scopa or Briscola!
Judy Divina Cucina Florence Everyone should try being Italian at least once a day!!
Curious how things come in cycles. Just a few days ago this question was addressed here, and you're quite excused for not having seen it: it hijacked a thread originally devoted to truffles.
I was searching all over for that thread - thanks Bill! I thought, "we just talked about this", but could not find the thread. I was just about to use the search to locate the thread when I wandered off to something else ... and came back hours later.
We moved to Italy in March and in the past each time we came back we gathered local T-shirts from our witch city of Salem MA. For friends, I am taking back those huge bags of walnuts, dried cranberries, almonds, pecans and pine nuts that you get at BJs and Costco for a fraction of the cost in Italy. Small bottles of maple syrup are a premium since it was not to be found in Umbria. For the kids, I brought the fancy markers and gel pens, pencils with huge decorative erasers, all at Bjs. The battery operated toothbrushes that look like racing cars, etc only about $5 each were also a big hit with the kids and parents later told us that the kids were brushing their teeth more often. It is so much fun to play Santa each time we return.
Yes, pecans, virtually unknown in Europe, although they do grow in N Africa; so that pecan turtles, log rolls, etc. -- the kind of stuff you find at Stuckey's on American roadsides -- play very well in Italy.
Bill, thank you for the pecan suggestion. I have been trying to think of something "Southern" to take our friends in Pisa. As you probably know, most Southern confections are very, very sweet and not suitable to the Italian palate. I do think my friends will appreciate the pecans.
Posts: 1432 | Location: on the Alabama River | Registered: 22 July 2002
Janice, a recipe for hush-puppies would probably be very appreciated as well; I think they could pull the raw ingredients. Southern Comfort (and bourbon) are also appreciated.
Bill, I can tell you have been south of the Mason-Dixon. Again, thanks for the great suggestions. My two friends are orthopaedic surgeons at the teaching hospital associated with the University of Pisa. They have access to many things American with American prices at the nearby US base, Camp Darby. Southern Comfort is, in my opinion, only suitable for cooking, but would make a great gift.
I met the doctors after breaking my ankle in Pisa, resulting in surgery and a week-long stay in their hospital. But that's another story.
Posts: 1432 | Location: on the Alabama River | Registered: 22 July 2002
Janice, I haven't spent that much time in the South, certainly not as much as I'd like; but my (French) mother when she first came to the States fell in love with Southern cooking, said it was the best her new country had to offer, and we regularly ate greens and hush-puppies and gumbos and Southern seafood recipes at home. Being a diplomat's wife, also, she always needed interesting, good American specialties to serve guests -- pointless being an American diplomat and serving French stuff -- among them a Bourbon Icebox Cake with Pecans that was one of my favorites too, still make one from time to time...
*** I'm not too surprised that Umbrians can, in fact, find maple syrup somewhere; on the other hand, would they think to buy the stuff without k nowing it? Call it a loss-leader, entice 'em in with the giftie (then tell 'em about Giò).    Next time I'm in Umbria, that might be a nice idea, serve any new friends and neighbors a good American meal: thanks Megan for the tip on supplies!
Ok, Bill. Now you have brought up a subject that I have long wondered about. But, I'll post it by starting a new thread instead of sending this one off on a tangent.
These are all great ideas. I will check out Costco next week. I know that they have huge packages of gel pens as my kids bought them last week. We could divide up a package and perhaps put two or three together tied with ribbon. Maple syrup would be a great idea as we are from Canada but alas I only buy it infrequently as the cost is so very high(not to mention the weight). I like the idea of chocolates. I'll just have to check out a few stores next week. Thanks for your input. Regards, Laurie
I once put a glass jar of maple syrup in a suitcase and it broke (what was I thinking?) - not only maple syrup everywhere, but the glass cut some of our clothes.
Do Italians care for Kona coffee or chocolate covered macadamia nut candies? Or guava jams/jelly, little cans of pineapple juice. I don't really know anyone in Italy but I'm thinking of just bringing some stuff over and giving them to whoever I encounter - owners of a restaurant I eat at, the people that rent me an apartment for a week, etc. - kinda like appreciation gifts. What would customs say about bringing food items like that? Or does Italy have all that stuff anyway? Someone here did say that they saw someone vending aloha shirts in Italy so it won't surprise me if they have other things from my state.
Cynde
Posts: 442 | Location: 12 time zones from Italy | Registered: 02 March 2002
Cynde, most Italians don't know what to make of American roast coffee, but one of my neighbors prefers it. However, you know an expat who LOVES Kona! Macademia nuts are unknown and expats cry over that a lot. We have a list going on now at an expats board to help people who are planning the move to know what to bring. There are a lot of things unavailable or requiring a trip to Milan or Rome to find, both of which cities are difficult when looking for the little hole in the wall that sells a few items of American food. Some things are available, but aren't the well-loved US version...like Jif peanut butter which I hate but many love.
Posts: 2736 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 13 September 2001
Pineapple juice is pretty commonly found. I've never seen guava anything in Italy, though, and I bet that would go over well, since it's something like quince. Peanut butter has a niche market as something that health-nuts buy.
Big cities are big cities, of course; if for example your friends live in Rome, whatever you bring them is more by way of introduction than because it can't be found. For example, I saw a very large specialty store somewhere between Metro Ottaviano and the Vatican, cram-packed wi th stuff from Denmark, Japan, the US, and other exotic places; I bet there are a dozen such stores in the City, and others in Milan, Florence, Venice.
Would pins of your country or city be appreciated or as I am from Calgary some western, stampedie thing. I imagine the wild west would be something new Regards, Laurie
I've had great luck bringing Wisconsin products: bags of corn for popping, cranberry products, maple syrup and wild rice; I've also brought seasonings for chili, which went over very well. Come to think of it, a French visitor went crazy for CornNuts when she stayed with me, so that might be good too.
I once had the cheek to bring a bottle of good California sauvignon blanc to my friends' house in France. They loved it, and when the wife came to my house on a school exchange trip, she enjoyed drinking it here and took some back with her.
In the non-food category, I've brought note cards with drawings of scenes from my locality and Indian-design jewelry (turquoise and silver). I've also brought key chains and t-shirts for kids.
Posts: 403 | Location: Wisconsin | Registered: 26 April 2002
I've bought cranberry juice (and canned cranberry sauce and frozen cranberries) at Pegna in Florence. (hey- I'm from New England- that's my only excuse! )
And for gifts, chocolates from Harbor Sweets in Salem are now something that my friends and family demand. I'll go look up their website- I usually just make a pilgramage before I go to Italy!
Pauline, I bought the large plastic bottle of syrup from BJs and packed it fine with a few ziplock bags and soft things around it-which reminds me to mention that I brought tons of ziplock bags-for personal use as well as give- aways. Maybe they have them here but not nearly the quality we have. By the way, Megan, where is Gio in Perugia-is it that mega mall supermarket I see along the highway on the way toward Assisi highway? And only Americans like peanut butter so we take a few big jars with us since, as a vegetarian , it is somewhat of a staple for me when I need a shot of protein. There is a great supermarket in Chiusi right near the entrance to the autostrada called "Super Al" and it has just about everything you need that a lot of the other larger supermarkets don't carry. I found brown sugar another impossible thing to find so I brought that along too.
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. Is this a common practice and if so I could use some suggestions of an appropriate gift.
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